Northeastern Wisconsin Convention. 



Assembled, as announced, at Hartford, 

 May 27tli and 28th, A. H. Hart, President, 

 in the chair. The Secretary, Mrs. Frances 

 Dunham, gave a short report, which was ac- 

 cepted. Many members were admitted, and 

 the following officers elected for the ensu- 

 ing year : President, H. P. Sayles, of Hart- 

 ford ; Vice Presidents, Geo. Grimm, of 

 Jefferson, Judge Grote, of Mauston, A. A. 

 Potter, of Eureka ; Secretary and Treas- 

 urer, Mrs. Frances Dunham, of Depere. 

 Convention then adjourned till 1 o'clock. 



The retiring President, A. H. Hart, made a 

 short address, and President Sayles took 

 the chair. After reading an article written 

 for the Association, the discussion opened 

 up on " The Purity of the Italian Queen." 



Mr. Sayles said the importing of queens 

 should be discountenanced, or if we bought 

 such, they should be thoroughly tested, and 

 the price fixed accordingly. Mr. Guenther 

 said it is impossible to raise pure queens, 

 while farmers raise so many black drones. 

 One hive with drones is enough to control 

 fertilization for two miles in diameter. 



On the subject of " Comb Foundation," 

 Mr. Place said all are willing to admit that 

 it is the best thing used. 



It was suggested that foundation should be 

 inserted in the afternoon, as it then had the 

 whole force of the bees to work at it all 

 night, and was partially drawn out before it 

 had to stand the heat of the sun. 



Mr. Guenther wintered 600 colonies, and 

 only lost 8 ; gave, by request, his mode of 

 wintering. Much interesting discussion 

 followed. 



Mrs. Dunham brought before the conven- 

 tion a matter, in which she took up the pres- 

 ent condition of the Rev. L. L. Langstroth. 

 She had never talked upon the subject with a 

 bee-keeper who did not regret it most truly. 

 He had been decorated by societies all over 

 the world ; honors heaped upon him, and 

 yet he was suffering now, on account of his 

 generosity to us. She asked that the mat- 

 ter (which was received with -enthusiasm) 

 might lie over till to-morrow afternoon, be- 

 fore action was taken upon it. 



The convention then adjourned, after 

 deciding to hold an evening session, which 

 passed off agreeably. 



SECOND DAY. 



Mr. George Grimm read an able article, 

 which was listened to with interest. It was 

 moved that the paper of Mr. Grimm be ac- 

 cepted as the opinion of the convention, 

 and that a vote of thanks be given him. 

 Unanimously carried. 



" Purity of Queens " was again discussed. 



Mr. Guenther said the actions are a better 

 test than the three bands. Italians will 

 cling to the comb; the general idea is that 

 "Italians are hybrids" anyway. All say 

 there is no better test than three bands, and 

 then it is necessary to breed to industry, 

 prolificness and docility. 



Mrs. Orvis wished a remedy for swarming 

 out. 



Mr. Grimm secures the queen, clips her 

 wing, hives the bees, gives a card of young 

 bees and brood in the center of the hive. It 

 is a certain remedy for swarming out. 



Mr. Hodgson said that any old bees will 

 swarm out ; they seem not to care for the 

 brood. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



A committee on exhibits was appointed,, 

 consisting of F. E. Turner, of Sussex; Geo. 

 Grimm, of Jefferson ; G. 11. Pierce, of Wi- 

 nooski. 



Mrs. Dunham asked to have the matter 

 pertaining to Mr. Langstroth brought before 

 the convention for action, and explained 

 briefly her great desire that something 

 might be done. She read a few words from 

 a very touching letter, from his daughter in 

 answer to her request to be allowed to 

 bring to the minds of all kind-hearted 

 friends, the injustice that had been done 

 him, and the hope that it could be remedied. 

 The extract was as follows : 



" It would relieve my dear father from 

 much of the burden, which in his age and 

 feeble health, presses very heavily upon 

 him, and we, who know all of his disinter- 

 ested labors for the bee-keeping public and 

 his meager returns, feel it would be but 

 simple justice." 



The matter was received with the utmost 

 enthusiasm by the members of the Associa- 

 tion. Mr. Geo. Grimm, in a short but elo- 

 quent speech, reviewed the main incidents 

 of Mr. Langstroth's life, and showed the 

 great benefits which had been derived from 

 his labors and wonderful inventions, and 

 said : " There is not a bee-keeper in this 

 country who would fail to respond, if a mon- 

 ument was to be erected to his honor." 



Mr. II. P. Sayles followed in a few em- 

 phatic remarks. 



Mr. Hart moved, and it was unanimously 

 carried, "that this convention appoint a 

 committee of three to take charge of getting 

 funds for Mr. Langstroth, to show our grat- 

 itude and respect for him. 



Mr. Geo. Grimm moved that the President 

 appoint a committee of three, who should 

 correspond with the secretaries of all State 

 Societies, and proceed in the matter with all 

 due diligence, according to their best judg- 

 ment. 



The following were appointed as such 

 committee : A. H. Hart, Appleton ; Geo. 

 Grimm, Jefferson ; Mrs. Francis Dunham, 

 Depere. Mrs. Dunham was appointed 

 treasurer. 



The whole convention resolved itself into 

 a committee, for the purpose of raising 

 funds for Mr. Langstroth. 



The committee on exhibits reported as 

 follows, which was adopted : We regard 

 the dove-tailed section boxes of J. C. & H. 

 P. Sayles and of Lewis & Parks as of good 

 material and workmanship, especially the 

 "Lewis Section " honey boxes, and recom- 

 mend them to the use of bee-keepers gener- 

 ally. The comb foundation, made on the 

 Dunham foundation machine as superior on 

 account of the depth of side walls or cells, 

 and the shape of the base of the cells, and 

 highly recommend it for general use. The 

 foundation machine, invented by Mrs. Dun- 

 ham, is made of substantial material, and is 

 of supe.iior workmanship. 



Mrs. Dunham's hive indicator, a cast-iron 

 block, marked on the sides, to be laid on 

 top of the hive to show at a glance the con- 

 dition of the colony ; Bingham & Hether- 



